Police say tipster who called about man with gun near Boulder high school incorrect

Police were called to a high school in Boulder on Thursday afternoon after they say someone reported seeing a man with a gun nearby, a report they say turned out to be incorrect.

A SWAT team responded to the scene near Fairview High School around 11 a.m. Thursday. Both Fairview and the nearby Southern Hills Middle School, both located on Greenbriar Boulevard, were placed on lockdown while police investigated the scene.

The Boulder Police Department temporarily issued a shelter-in-place order for a half mile around the school and closed the road in front of the school.

Just before noon, police said there is no longer an active threat near the high school. They say the person who called in the report of a man with a gun had seen a man wearing a weighted vest carrying his cell phone in his hand.

Officers searched the school out of an abundance of caution, and the schools began releasing students around 1:15 p.m.

Police said they spoke with the man who was carrying the cellphone while on his run, and that he understood that the public is concerned after the shooting at Evergreen High School in Jefferson County.

"We always encourage anyone who thinks they see something suspicious to call us," the department said. "We understand the community fear today and are thankful this did not turn out to be anyone with any ill intent."